CPT 00322: Anesthesia for Esophagus, Thyroid, Larynx, Trachea and Neck Procedures
Commercial payers pay $81 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 00322 describes anesthesia services provided for procedures involving the esophagus, thyroid, larynx, trachea, and lymphatic system of the neck, including needle biopsy of the thyroid; the service type is anesthesia for head and neck procedures, typically performed in an operating room or procedural suite where airway and regional management for the neck and upper aerodigestive tract are required.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders, Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders, Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial reimbursement for CPT 00322 clusters around BUCA’s average commercial rate of $80.9, with notable variation by payer. Blue Cross Blue Shield shows a wide upper tail with a $P90 of $141.7 and a median of $72.4, while Cigna’s mean of $105 and median of $90.8 sit above BUCA. Aetna and UnitedHealth Group have lower medians at $48 and $65 respectively, and Aetna’s max rate reaches $175.3 while UnitedHealth Group’s max is $122.7.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile spread (P75–P25) is widest for Cigna at $61.0 ($139.0–$73.1) and Blue Cross Blue Shield at $46.3 ($104.2–$57.9). The tightest spread is UnitedHealth Group at $26.8 ($81.3–$52.5), followed closely by BUCA’s interquartile range of $46.1 ($103.9–$56.9). These spreads indicate materially different variability profiles across commercial payers for this code.